Time of Departure (The Amended Version)
by BD and GOTA
Summary: Jaune Arc boarded a plane back home to start his life anew after a failing marriage. His former wife, Weiss Schnee, has other plans for the recently departed husband. The game of cat and mouse is on. Will Jaune find solace or will Weiss make him live by their wedding vows, "in sickness or in health. For better or for worse. Till death do us part?" {AU} {White Knight} {Arkos?}
1. What is Familiarity?

_**Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the amended version of "Time of Departure." Written by Big Diesel (The Atypical Author) and [girlfriendoftheauthor] (GOTA). Originally seen on "The Taste of Rain: A Suspense & Horror Anthology of Jaune Arc," the premise of the story remains the same - Jaune escapes from Weiss' web and she doesn't take it very lightly. Jaune is on the run and Weiss is on the hunt. Some characters will stay, others will be replaced. Stay tuned for this suspenseful drama. **_

_**Warning: the story contains strong subject matter (violence, domestic abuse, murder, netorare, minor/referenced sexual content). Discretion is advised. If this story isn't your cup of tea, then please refrain from reading this. **_

Jaune had informed his mother that his flight wasn't departing until late in the evening. There was a flight delay due to impending inclement weather. He had told his worrisome mother that he would be okay. _Just go home and get some rest. I still have a few more hours before arriving there anyway. _His mother wasn't going to have it. He imagined her twirling her hair, more so out of stress than habit, rocking back and forth over the phone. His twin sister on the other end wanting to have a quick chat with his sister, but his mother overstepping the boundaries. That was the norm in the Arc household. He would think over the last twenty-something years there would be a change. Be as it were in a routine, a rhythm, a step, or just a change of breath patterns, nothing. Everything was complacent. Joan wouldn't get a word and his mother was performing her duty of being neurotic.

He was hours from home and that was where his heart resided. Just those things were enough to ensure that happiness was within. He just had to wait a few more hours to return home. Home, where the heart is. Where the heart resides. A void that needed to be filled.

A void to be filled, cascaded like a burden to a riverside, resting itself from the weary and the woes. Jaune was itching for that void to be filled. He wanted to go home. He wanted to be somewhere there was familiarity.

Interesting how that word, that phrase, familiarity, made sense to him. He pondered over that word as he sat behind his desk at work. The thought of becoming a potential huntsman to being a paper pusher, better yet a gofer under the Schnee dynasty was what he had planned. Working hours on end to fill a role he thought he was good enough to do. The pay wasn't bad, in fact, it was well enough that he was able to afford a Mercedes and have a condo in an affluent suburb. One would think he should be happy, appreciative. _Man, you should be grateful to have a job that would pay you surgeon dollars just to do a few favors. Working that much? For that long? For that pay? I would bend over backwards for that kind of cash._

He loved when words exited from the mouths of strangers, familiars, friends. _Familiarity_. That would pop into the blonde's memory banks once more. Funny how the words resonated into his brain one evening at the bar, on the very night his friends and co-workers were discussing his position and stance on the company. According to his tone, one would think he was complaining. Or he was unappreciative. _Never judge a man's table if you have never seen his valley. _His valley stretched as far as the eye could see. Unmelodic was the proper adjective to describe his valley. A valley voided of any nutrients, nothing sparse could be found. But that was the valley of death he ascended, descended, and ventured. Did he gain? That itself gave him the answer as he looked at the plane ticket of his departure to return home.

It was Ren, Nora, and Ruby that dropped him off at the airport. They were the ones also responsible for packing his things; the things he was allowed to bring from his former home. They wanted to watch him go, but Jaune insisted not to come with him. '_Seeing you depart would only make me feel more sorrow. Saying goodbye hurts worse than saying see you later.' _He embraced the team that stayed by his side during the tumultuous period. They were angels in his eyesight, true friends indeed. '_See you later' _were the final words the former teammates spoke to each other before making his entrance to the airport.

There were more words to be said. More questions than answers. An incomplete chapter, an unfinished page. _Closure._

* * *

There wasn't a two weeks notice. No notes were written to explain his departure. He didn't make threats. No arguments were perpetuated. He didn't assault the elder Schnee. He gently and delicately walked into his office as the boss was working on his proposed projections for the next quarter. Master Schnee didn't bulge. For he was familiar with the footsteps of any employee that entered his office.

'_Master Schnee, I no longer want to work under you.' _

That was it. He bowed before his now-former employer. The elder Schnee didn't flinch. He didn't bat an eye. He continued typing onto his computer, never missing a beat.

It wasn't until a few feet away from the door when the elder Schnee spoke. '_Don't beat yourself over it, kid. For all it is worth, you were granted a dynasty where others were offered pity. You were given a position where many would fight to have. Son, when you are involved in this business, sacrifices are going to be made.' _

Jaune didn't move. However, he felt the rocking of the chair turning in front of his back.

'_It is lonely at the top, son. Do you think I made it to the echelon with any support? You may have those that come to the mountain, but can they stand the ice? Can they stand the rain? The rough terrain? Success isn't easy and friends aren't either. _He then finally spoke the inevitable. _Neither does a relationship. Ask yourself, Jaune? Did you think she was going to follow those vows?' _

The elder Schnee's voice was cold, unflattering, quite desolate. Unmoved and unhinge by the final notice of his eventual former son-in-law's departure.

'_Did you think as you stood in front of that alter while saying the "I do's" that she would stand by her word? I know where you are from, those words stick like the ice on a lone road. However, where we are from, words are as valid as lies. We say things to make people feel good. We know that we don't mean them, but it can get you guys from point A to point B, then all is well. It is like a process. Hell, it is like shooting fish in a barrel.'_

Jaune heard laughter. It was faint. He imagined the elder Schnee removing his glasses, rubbing his eyes, relieving any tension as if he was providing a confession.

'_Did you honestly think you were going to last under the Schnee name? Granted, the wife and I were surprised that you did. We even gambled on your duration. Frankly, I am impressed that you have lasted longer than you did. You have really thought that Weiss was different. She wasn't the girl that would do that. "She was faithful. She was dutiful. She was loyal." You maybe can fool yourself, but Weiss is a Schnee. Us Schnee's have needs.'_

Jaune questioned his reasoning for staying further. What good was he going to get out of this? Did he want closure? Did he want something that was going to provide why his Weiss was being unfaithful? What did Jaune want? Tears blinded his vision, only feeding more into the fuel of Master Schnee's jeering bantering.

'_Having a spouse is like having the help. The help makes sure duties get done. Clean the house, make dinner, do laundry, take the children to school, look presentable. The help has their uses and that is the role, nothing more. You see, Jaune. That chase, that dance you played ended the moment you said, "I do." Your value de-escalated like the currency exchange, or the moment a new car steps out of the lot. What value are you when you got the prize? She wanted more excitement. She is a ferocious tigress in her prime. If I were in your position, I would be grateful just to share a bed with her. A kiss or two. Or if you are lucky, the obligated lovemaking. That's if you are willing to share another's man cream, that is._

Jaune stomped the foot. A wave, a crescendo carried to the desk that put the elder Schnee to a halt. He made a slight typo. That word was familiarity.

'_Master Schnee, you might be familiar with that concept with your life. Treating anything that belongs to you as fragile and perishable. Unlike you, I have a thing called dignity. I have a thing called respect. Those things may not mean anything to you, but those are things you can not buy. I may have been played a fool. I may have mistakenly thought I loved your daughter. Granted, I still do; no matter what hurt she has done to me. I can't blame her for the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. She has people like you that makes it permissible to do those things. It isn't right and she must pay responsibility. However, you may have treated me as I was an insolent insect, but at least I put forth the effort in trying. I played my part in the vows. I have done my job. And I have done my job to serve under you. And I have done my job of playing "husband" to your daughter.'_

He gripped his hand tightly, slowly edging to the very thing that solidifies his love on his aching finger. He removed his symbol of love and tossed it to the floor.

'_I don't know what kind of pride, what feelings may consume your wretched heart, but I will not stand here and get ridiculed!' _The latter half of the sentence came to a shout. The sound of his echo bounced, rattling the windows. '_I have worth! Regardless if it is indifferent to you or to Weiss, I have worth! Do you hear me, Old Man?! I have worth. I have fucking worth and even if it is meaningless to you, it means something to me. And someday, even that icebox of a heart will have to realize that. Let just hope it isn't when you hear the disheartening words from the gods, "Depart from me!"'_

He heard a clap following his completion of the conversation. Loud, synchronized claps from the head man, himself. Jaune watched as Jacques turned his piercing eyes to his sight. Suddenly, silence. Silent to a point where one could hear a pin drop.

'_That's right, Jaune. I am proud that you value yourself. Keep telling yourself. Head held up high, that's the spirit.' _The tone was insincere, his raspy, deep voice was gaining strength. It was as if Jaune's defense was only the catalyst for Master Schnee's fire.

'_You see, my poor, pitiful, stupid, former son-in-law, us people of nobility don't have to worry about such troubles. You say words that are meaningless to us. You think but stating your feelings, I have a change of heart? Do you actually think kindness and sincerity get you anywhere? _The latter half of his voice began to rise like a lion.

'_That is weak, you vulnerable bloody bastard! Oum, you are such easy prey! I have trained my daughter to become a predator. And a predator gets whatever they want. You should be honored, boy, that I allow a bottom feeder to have a seat at my inner circle. Looking back, if I would have known that you were to remain a mutt, then I would have seated you in the corner of our kitchen. Even you wouldn't be good enough to get the table scraps. Such a damn urchin, boy! I have trained Weiss to be a champion. I have trained her to serve her purpose. Our family isn't a family where we express ourselves. When we want something, we take it. Stupid fool!'_

A wave, a crescendo was carried back to Jaune, sending a shiver down his spine.

'_Weiss was right about you. You are too easy. Feelings don't get you anywhere but to be put down and turned into glue. And you bastards are the very glue that holds this foundation! So, Jaune, Mr. Arc, I think you have made your point on what you believe. And I made my point on what I believe. So, please, take your leave and get out of my sight! NOW!'_

Nothing more was going to produce or change the elder Schnee's mind. He returned to his business, typing quickly, not missing a beat. Jaune sighed heavily, walking slower than he did when entering his cold, desolate office.

'_Oh, by the way, Jaune. Did you enjoy the video of Weiss in that hotel room? Even I was impressed with the number of guys she can take. She is a champion indeed. A winner! She is built just like her mother.'_

It was a haughty chuckle, certainly and purposefully entering into Jaune's heart as he departed from the building. He closed the door gently, only to return to a lone hallway. Jaune couldn't forget that text. He wanted to say it was a prank. He wanted to believe that it wasn't his Weiss.

_This is how a man performs, Jaune._

The text came from the women he promised to protect, provide, and profess until death do they part.

* * *

_Ladies and gentlemen, please excuse us for the interruption. We are fortunate to announce that the impending inclement weather has shifted away from our radar. Your regularly scheduled flight is to be resumed as follows. The flight to London departs in Gate 2B. The flight to Glasgow departs in Gate 2A. The flight to Los Angeles departs…._

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, silently thanking Oum in the shift of the weather. He had prayed earlier for the change. He was eager to be at home where he belonged. A place of solace, a place of wellbeing, a place of familiarity.

Speaking of the word, it still resonated in his brain as he pondered on the meaning. On his phone, he searched for the meaning: _close acquaintance with or knowledge of something_; _the quality of being well known; recognizability based on long or close association_; and _relaxed friendliness or intimacy between people._

_**I am familiar with my family, my home. That is where my heart resides.**_

_Are you sure that isn't the only thing that fills your heart?_

* * *

_**In a not-so-distant past (in happier times)….**_

It was a month after Jaune and Weiss moved in together. It was a few months after they have begun university. Weiss was interning with her father at his company. Jaune was spending his summer helping Professor Goodwitch and Ozpin teaching lower classmen on fighting monsters. Weiss was feeling the tension in her shoulders after they moved their couch into their apartment. It was a used couch they had purchased from the thrift store. Jaune knew that Weiss had the funds to acquire luxurious furniture, but it was the period when Weiss was searching for independence.

Jaune leaned forward, telling Weiss to sit on the floor. He had some ice for her tense shoulders. He had told her to take off her shirt. She blushed but knew she needed to take care of the swelling. She flinched when feeling the ice make contact with her shoulder.

'In a minute, I would put some heat, okay,' replied Jaune as he rubbed the affected area.

'You are so good to me, Jaune,' replied Weiss.

'No, you are my dear,' answered Jaune. 'Answering your question. What are you implying?'

Jaune knew the answer. Even after a few months of dating, the word lingered on them like Jaune's cologne on her dress and the tingling sensation of Weiss' kisses.

'Do you have the feeling of expanding your love?'

He put his finger to his lips. 'I can, but granted, not everyone is worthy.'

She shrugged her shoulders, turning her neck to see Jaune. 'Am I worthy?'

She gave him a blank stare. The question was legitimate. He leaned forward, grabbing her chin and pulling each other into a kiss. The kiss lasted a few moments, but parting lips gave Weiss the answer she was looking for.

'I express my love through touch,' explained Jaune.

'A love language,' she questioned while purring.

'Communication is the key,' he replied. 'There are many ways to express worthiness.'

Weiss smirked, displaying her bra strap. She reached the back of her bra strap, removing it in the process. She sighed excitedly, tossing it in his face. 'Do you feel free to share the love language that makes you comfortable?'

* * *

_Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. This is the final call for the flight to Cardiff. This is the final call for the flight to Cardiff. Please report to Gate 3C in Terminal B. Please report to Gate 3C in Terminal B._

He had removed his earbuds, seeing the crowd that was following, rather leading him to his destination. _This is it! Here I go! _What more can he say? The blonde was ready to go back to his humble roots. He needed to be somewhere of peace, of solace, of familiarity.

_Familiarity._

He reached for his briefcase. He reached into it to retrieve his cell phone. A lump came into his stomach. This cell phone was going to be used for his return. His current cell phone was no longer needed.

A final piece to the puzzle.

_Closure._

He walked to his terminal, still carrying his old phone. He received a text. _Strange! I thought I have told the others that I am no longer using this number. They should have my new number._

It was an unsaved number. He was familiar with it as he had recently deleted it the moment he walked out of her life. He unlocked his phone to read her message.

_Do you think you will leave me this easily? Just like that? I don't know what made you think you can call it quits, but no one leaves Weiss Schnee until I say so. Remember our vows? For in sickness and in health? For better or for worse? Do they mean anything to you? If you were smart, my lovely husband, you drop what you're doing and come on home. I will pretend you wanted a break. If you come, I promise you that I won't be that angry towards you. Please, come home._

He had heard it before. By this time, it was just words. Meaningless words as the feeling her father gave him that very day of his quitting. It wasn't the first time that the cheating temptress gave him that speech.

* * *

A few days after leaving the Schnee manor, he moved into a tiny one-bedroom apartment at the edge of town. He was fortunate that it was situated near Ren, Nora, and Ruby. They were able to watch over him if he acquired assistance. He began working for a local newspaper where he served as a columnist. It was to be only temporary until the divorce proceedings were finalized.

Jaune filed a restraining order against Weiss, ordering her to stay a thousand feet away from his vicinity. The only time she would have permission to be at close proximity is during the time it was spent on their divorce. Whenever they and their lawyers would meet, it was a cold, silent drudge match. Weiss and her lawyer would have reasons to delay the proceedings.

Be as it may, Jaune was determined to have the divorce finalized.

Rather she liked it or not.

'_Hi, this is Jaune. Unfortunately, I can't come to the phone. Please leave your message after the beep.'_

He had a missed call. A voicemail will in his wake. He looked at his home phone like a deer seeing headlights. His hands were trembling to the touch. It wasn't the phone itself, but the person on the other end he was more afraid. He knew if he were to call back, the consequences were inevitable. It was to the advice from his friends, Ren and Nora to have a home phone. Ren went to the local thrift store to purchase it and it was quite fortunate that it came with a caller ID. Jaune found it to be safe, especially since he was playing phone tag with his former wife. She called him without any end. Text messages, voicemails, anything to show how seriously dire and unrelenting the white-haired woman was on her pursuit of Jaune. Jaune changed phone providers and deleted his social media without any success. Even as he was on his prepaid cell phone, she would find his number.

_The Oum damned lawyer appeared at our house today with the finalization of the divorce papers. Didn't have the balls to come up yourself to do it? Do you think that we are through, Jaune? You are my husband. You have made your vows to me. How dare you have broken your vows? Who in the hell do you think you are? Remember what we have spoken at the altar? For in sickness and in health? For better or for worse? Why do you think I do the things I do? To prove a point that you can be a fucking man and stand by your wife. I know what I am doing isn't right, but it doesn't change how I feel. You must understand that a woman has needs…._

Jaune picked up the phone. 'Don't you give me that crap! I have been nothing but faithful to you. I have stretched out my last nerve to show dedication. And that is the thanks I get?'

'Maybe if you can prove to me and my father to be a man, then I won't have to do these things.'

'Just words! Like you are never responsible. So, it is my fault that I forced that man to sleep in our bed."

"It was an accident.'

'It's my fault that you had an affair with that executive from Normandy.'

'It was business, Jaune.'

'What use am I then? As your father said, I am the fucking help.'

'Jaune, you are my husband. I love you and you alone. Those guys, those guys are just fillers. They were meaningless flings. You act like I can't have any fun!'

Typical Weiss, never claim responsibility and believes that this was Jaune's overreacting. _Well, not anymore._

'They might be _meaningless _flings to you_,_ Weiss, but I refuse to be with someone who allows any tomcat to shit in our litter box.'

Weiss' voice turned aggressive. 'Watch your fucking mouth and who you are talking to. Jaune, you are making a big mistake for leaving me. What Weiss Schnee wants, Weiss Schnee gets.'

'You are not going to treat me like I am a toy. I am worth more than a toy, Oum damnit!'

'You are used how I want you to be used. You are to love, honor, _and_ obey. Your role is to sit there and take it like a good husband! It is _your _role to serve me. If I want to go out, I will. If I want to have affairs, I will. I will even make you watch it and you wouldn't dare bat an eye. If you're lucky, you may a taste of me.' Jaune can hear her panting frantically from the other side of the receiver. 'Now, let's be a good boy. Open the door so we can talk!'

'H...How do you know where I am?'

'I am your wife, silly. I won't let you leave me, _honey_!'

Jaune held the rattling of the front door of his apartment. Following the rattling, he heard a tremendous bang on his door. 'Answer the door, Jauney. Answer the door!'

Jaune wasn't taking any chances. He was fortunate to live on the first floor. The back door was inches away. 'Leave Weiss, or else I am going to call the police.'

She laughed loudly at the door. 'Do you think I care about the police? Especially if they are profiting from daddy's payroll?' She crackled louder before relieving herself. 'Now, let's not act like children. If you are going to act like a child, I will treat you like one.' She banged the door. 'NOW OPEN THE DAMN DOOR! OPEN THE DOOR, JAUNEY! IF YOU DON'T OPEN IT IN THE NEXT THREE SECONDS, YOU ARE GOING TO REGRET IT!'

Jaune grabbed his weapon.

"ONE!"

Jaune retrieved to the door.

"TWO!"

The door burst open, causing the door to fall to the floor. Weiss entered the room with her weapon in hand. 'JAUNEY! Where are you, sweetness? Come on out, I won't hurt much for disobeying my orders.'

With weapon in hand, she searched through every nook and cranny of the apartment.

Jaune was nowhere to be found.

* * *

"_Don't worry, Mom. I am fine."_

"_It is barely a scratch. I was able to get away."_

"_No, Mom. Don't involve the police. It wouldn't do any good anyway."_

He was fortunate to find a payphone. He felt unsafe about using his cell phone. Only Oum knew what kind of private detective she had hired to track him down. It was only for reservation. What kind? He wasn't sure. And with only a small percentage of battery life, he needed to manage it until Ren picked him up from the truck station.

When picking up the phone, Ren didn't want to hear further. As if a little bird informed him of this plight, Ren wanted his nearest location to a landmark.

The phone booth was in a dimmed lit part of the parking lot. He had a burst of self-deprecating laughter under his cautious voice.

'_Cooling where it ain't safe.'_

He had heard it in a song before one day while he was traveling in a limo with his wife, or at least that was what she was supposed to be.

Nevertheless, it was the darkness that was soothing him. A contradiction, if one would add. But, he knew he wouldn't be found. No one would that certain someone would think that her husband would be caught dead in a destitute despot like this. A place where the shysters, downtrodden, and the misbegotten soothe their souls by chalked coffee and stale donuts; inhaling noxious fumes and preying on the downfallen, crestfallen, and pathless women of the night. She wouldn't dare let her feet touch the oily surface.

With Jaune, he felt safe to be 'cooling' where it wasn't supposed to be safe.

He didn't have enough coins to have a complete conversation with his mother. He needed to be short and swift.

"_I don't have much time with the call. I need you to wire some money to me as soon as possible."_

"_Because I am coming home, Mom."_

"_Yes, I am serious."_

"_Don't be joyous just yet. I am not out of trouble's way yet."_

"_Ren is going to let me stay with him and Nora until further notice."_

"_Yes, ma'am. I trust you."_

"_Time is running out. Take care of this for me. Do you have Ren's number?"_

"_Thank Oum. Call me on an outside line. We don't need anything traceable. Ren will send you details."_

"_Thanks, Mom! I love you, too. Goodbye!"_

He hung up the phone. He inserted his finger in the slot in the chance of change.

Nothing came out.

"I know exactly how you feel," he had said aloud.

He stepped out of the booth and into the night. He scanned the area. A couple of eighteen-wheelers stopping to get their fill of gas or whatever was tangible to dine in the diner. He didn't have much on him. He didn't even have the shoes on his feet. It didn't matter. Rather be walking barefooted than wearing the fanciest of footwear under her prowess. In his twenty-something years, the blonde never ran like that. Even when he was on the track team back in university, he had never run with such agility. When he had run, it was toward the prize. Never did he think when he was running from his apartment building, it was because of her.

_Weiss Schnee._

He ran through a maze of buildings and winding side streets as the sky rumbled, and heavy snow settled onto the cobblestones. A storm smothered the moon, blackening the world around him. Drops of snow beat against his skin like hammers.

"_Where are you, Jaune?"_

"_Don't you dare think you can run from me."_

Her voice howled into the night. He felt like a weak rabbit being preyed from the temptress wolf.

"_You damn bastard! When I find you, I will make you pay and you know how I feel about that!"_

"_You fucking weakling? YOU COWARD! Where are you?! Where in the fuck are you?"_

"_Jauney! Jauney! Where are you?!"_

Jaune continued running until her voice ceased. Just like track, he was running to the goal. And the goal was to get away from her.

_Familiarity_

Five years. It took five years of a supposed bliss into an array of discord. Once again, the blonde smiled. He thought it was supposed to end with his grandchildren, sitting in front of the rocking chair about how their grandmother and grandfather fell in love.

He spat out. He wasn't sure why? Yet again, he was used to having things being cut short or taken away so soon.

Nevertheless, he still considered himself as the nice guy. He didn't abuse her. He didn't mistreat her in any way. He did what a man was supposed to do with his queen. Or at least he thought that was his queen.

"_Why can't you be a man, Jaune?"_

"_Jesus, you are so damned pathetic! Can you at least think of one minuscule thing out of that pea-sized brain?"_

"_Weak, inconsiderate, disgracing! You bring such ruins to the Schnee name. It makes sick to call you my husband!"_

"_You aren't a damn thing without me, Jaune. Think you are better than me? You are worst the vomit on the used, piss-ridden braided rug in the dog house."_

"_Why would I share a bed with you? There is a nice mat on the floor for you to reside for the night. Here is a man that you can take some notes. He knows how to check a woman."_

"_You think you are going to leave me? Just like that?! There are two places of your future with me, Jaune. Forever in my heart or six feet in the garden. Make a choice!"_

It was the sound of the car horn that alerted Jaune that he was in its direction. He saw a flash of light. He saw that it was a blue, two-door Hyundai pulling alongside him. Being vigilant for those working for her, he stood on guard.

The driver of the Hyundai turned the lights out. The door opened. There was still enough light in the area to recognize that it was a man.

It was Ren.

Jaune's legs began to wobble when seeing this temporary solace in front of him. He was driven to tears but he knew it was too soon to be celebratory.

"Hey, man. Are you good?"

"Well isn't the right choice of words. But, alive is right," said Jaune with a slight hint of laughter.

Ren wasn't moved but Jaune's humor as this wasn't the time. "Let's get you out of here."

Jaune nodded in agreement while Ren opened the passenger door. Jaune was ready to get somewhere warm from this coldness.

He was tired, wet, in pain, and cold.

And on the run.

* * *

_**For better or for worse. For in sickness and in health!**_

That was the text Weiss sent Jaune on his phone. It was unfortunate that he didn't read it. He pulled out the SIM card and split it in half, tossing it in the trash.

As for his cell phone, there was a certain teenager who he had overheard wanting a cell phone badly.

Jaune released a sigh as he handed over his flight ticket to the flight attendant. She had a candid smile. It reminded him of his sister, Joan.

"Feels like a burden has been lifted."

Jaune didn't know what made her produced those words, but he responded with a pat on her shoulder. "Take care of yourself!" He reached for his headphones to plug in his new cell phone. He took slow steps as he was walking the hallway to the plane.

* * *

Jake took a look at his Facebook page. He couldn't be any happier as he was holding his new cell phone. He wasn't sure why the kind stranger gave him the phone, but he didn't question it. Jake looked to it as a gift from Oum as he was updating his status.

_**Excited! My first overseas trip to America! #liberty #murica**_

He scrolled to like a few statuses and commented on a few of his friends' stories before closing the app. He continued to peruse the phone as this was his first smartphone. Jake didn't come from a well-to-do family. Actually, Jake came from an orphanage.

The purpose of his overseas trip was a vacation with his orphanage after receiving donations to go to an American theme park. He was nervous, for it was his first time flying and leaving the country. Nevertheless, the happy go lucky brunette couldn't be further excited.

He excused himself from his friends when telling the headmistress that he was going to get something to eat. She told him to be hasteful for it wouldn't be long when their flight was called. He thanked her, walking away to search for a hot dog vendor.

He held onto his phone, scrolling through to investigate whatever the stranger left. He wasn't the kind to pry into personal space, but he wouldn't object listening to his music.

_This man has great taste! Jimi Hendrix. Grateful Dead. Green Day. The Dead Kennedys. Juice Wrld?_

He was standing in line, caught in a yawn when he noticed someone approaching him from behind him.

_She smells like a moist flower. A scent of honeydew or something sweeter._

He made a slight glance. Immediately, the brunette blushed upon seeing her. She was wearing a grey cardigan with a matching skirt. It was athletic wear, according to him. Her white hair complimented her creamy complexion. Her eyes reminded him of a cat. They were very large.

"Sorry, am I too close?" The woman waved a gentle voice, which sent chills to Jake.

Jake shook his head in disagreement, resulting in a dizzy spell. She covered her mouth to hide her laughter. "Sorry if I made you a little nervous. I tend to do that with others."

"That's okay," said Jake as he displayed his gapped tooth smile. "How do you do?" He extended his hand to the woman. "My name is Jake. Jake Nishimoto."

The white-haired girl smiled, displaying her beady eyes to return his handshake. "Nice to meet you, Jake Nishimoto. My name is Weiss. Weiss Schnee."

"Your name has German origins if I am being correct?"

She shook her head. "Spot on, Jake. And your name has Japanese origins."

The boy smiled. "Japanese and a splash of Nigerian as well."

"Colorfully blended," replied Weiss excitedly. She displayed a smile that was very bedeviling. In Jake's eyes, she displayed an aura that was very alluring to him. He had to remind himself that he was younger than her. Jake was seventeen. The woman looked as if she could be in her mid to late twenties, but her face was very childlike, displaying innocence. "I am sorry for my closeness, but I couldn't help but admire that phone of yours. Is it new?"

Jake looked to this as a conversation starter.

"In a way, it is. It's kind of used. I just got it earlier today. It was a gift from a kind stranger." Jake was brutally honest to a fault. His headmistress always told him to display himself as welcoming and friendly.

"Well, it's a nice phone," said Weiss.

"Thanks. I do appreciate the compliment," answered Jake.

Weiss swayed her hair, showcasing her eyes. Jake immediately averted away, blushing from her pure beauty. She giggled. "I can tell that you are shy when it comes to girl."

Jake didn't respond, just nodding for confirmation.

"It's okay," replied Weiss while smiling. "I think it is cute for boys to be shy. It brings the best out of people."

He slightly returned his face to Weiss. "You think so?"

She giggled. "Of course, sweetie. It shows that you have a sensitive side." She winked. "Women loved that."

The brunette's smiled beamed in front of Weiss. "Thanks a lot, Weiss."

She tapped him on the shoulder. "Don't mention it." She scanned the area before returning her sight to the boy. "Hey, do you have any time to talk for a moment? Hmm?" She swayed her hair once more. "My flight is delayed and I am thinking of getting some coffee and crepes, if are you interested."

Jake darted his eyes to his group. "I don't know," he questioned. "My flight is due at any minute."

"Aww," she pouted. "Where are you departing to?"

"Orlando."

She pulled out a cell phone. She looked at it for a few minutes before returning her face to Jake. "The flight to Orlando isn't for another hour. Can you spare at least twenty minutes with little old me? You seem like a nice lad to talk to."

Jake rubbed the sole of his shoes. "Well, I think as long as I can hear the announcement."

She took his hand. "Come with me. You will like these crepes. One of the best in town, if you ask me."

Jake turned beet red when feeling the gentle hand of the stranger as he was preparing to go out on an outing. _This phone is good luck. I am going to have crepes and coffee with an older woman. Thank you, Oum. Thank you, kind stranger._

* * *

The custodian was looking at the clock. It was still a little too early before clocking out for the evening. His head custodian called in sick, causing him to work a double shift. He didn't mind it, but he wanted at least a twenty-four-hour warning before heading to work. He was listening to music, the benefit of working on the job. The sound of smooth jazz elevated his mood as he glided himself into the men's restroom.

He did a little twist, picking up the _Wet Floor _sign to put in front of the restroom. He grabbed his mop and did another dancing glide in the restroom. Despite being middle-aged, the custodian still had a few grooves in his step. He swayed his hips with the mop as if it were a microphone. He was grooving to his music as he headed toward the stalls.

Placing his mop bucket next to the stall, he prepared to clean the floor. He closed the door to the first stall. He was going to the second stall until he noticed something funny in front of the stall.

_Out of Order_

The custodian rose his bushy eyebrow. "That is peculiar. I don't recall placing that sign there." He peeled the sign, noticing its' handwriting and print. "I normally type my out of order signs and keep them handy on my cart. Something is funny."

He returned to the last stall, seeing if there were someone in there. He saw a pair of legs on the ground, which confirmed it. As much he didn't want to interrupt a person's business, he had to tend to duties.

"Excuse me, sir," he said as he knocked on the stall door. "I am the custodian, so I need you to wrap up so I can clean in there."

There wasn't an answer.

He didn't want to raise suspicion, citing that the person could be asleep or hard of hearing. He knocked louder this time. "Oi! Don't want to be rude, but I want you to finish up, sir!"

There still wasn't an answer.

The custodian which into his pocket to retrieve the key. He slid it into the lock and turned it clockwise. There was a click as the door unlocked. Immediately as he turned the lock, he felt something was wrong. It started in his gut and spread to his chest. Regardless, he grabbed the handle and opened the stall door.

_There is a dead boy._

A gasp was released before releasing the haunting words. He fell back to the wall, seeing the deceased boy sitting crooked on the toilet seat. His pants were undone, his shirt was buttoned, but appeared half-done. The elephant in the room was a plastic bag wrapped tightly around his face. From the position of the bag, it appeared he was attacked from the front. Be as it may, the boy was still dead.

His face turned light blue, any warmth to his face faded away. He got up and scrambled to the exit as he ran out of there.

"Main office! Main office!" The custodian alerted through his walkie talkie before he paused, deciding to stay at the scene in case of others were to go in there.

"Main Office. How can I help you?"

"I need you to send the police. I think I found a dead person in the bathroom."

"Custodian. Report that status again?"

"I think I found a dead person in the bathroom."

_Jake?_

_Jake?_

The custodian looked forward as he saw a woman rushing in the center of the terminal. She looked panicked, continued to say the name of Jake.

It wasn't long until she came to the custodian.

"Excuse me, sir. I need to know if you have seen a boy around here," questioned the woman.

"Describe him to me, please," answer the custodian.

"He is a brown-skinned, almost tan-skinned child. He is seventeen years old. He was wearing blue jeans and a black buttoned shirt," replied the woman.

The custodian backed away. He turned around as he was grabbing his gut.

"Is there something wrong," questioned the woman frantically.

"Ma'am. I don't know how to say this," replied the custodian nervously.

_American Airlines flight to Orlando has departed and has left the gate._

For a moment, Jaune thought he had heard a blood-curdling scream as his plane was being taxied out to the runway.

_**To be continued….**_


	2. One Day It'll All Make Sense!

_**Hey, guys! BD and GOTA, here, with an amended chapter of "Time of Departure." Originally seen on "The Taste of Rain: A Suspense & Horror Anthology of Jaune Arc," the premise of the story remains the same - Jaune escapes from Weiss' web and she doesn't take it very lightly. Jaune is on the run and Weiss is on the hunt. Some characters will stay, others will be replaced. Stay tuned for this suspenseful drama.**_

_**Warning: the story contains strong subject matter (violence, domestic abuse, murder, netorare, minor/referenced sexual content). Discretion is advised. If this story isn't your cup of tea, then please refrain from reading this.**_

An unexpected torrential downpour caused the airplane to make a delay at a nearby city. According to the flight captain, it came out of nowhere. The radar predicted the weather to be a clear and sunny day en route back to Cardiff. If anything his mother had taught him as a young teenager - don't always count on people and don't count on the weather.

He can now add, don't count of fidelity as even that can make an unexpected change at this point in time.

The passengers were to remain on the plane until the pilot was to receive word on departure. Jaune didn't mind. Knowing that Weiss wouldn't be able to find him made him relax. Not out of sure comfort but just enough to not worry. Although he begged the airline to use a pseudonym out of protection, Weiss was swift, craft, and very convincing when she can. If he could be swayed into marrying her, who knew what else she could do.

He closed his eyes. He was massaging his temple with his hands. He didn't bother texting Ren, Nora, or the others. He didn't want them to worry about him. He did worry about their safety. Ren, Nora, Ruby, those who helped and aided his escape could possibly be targeted. Jaune wouldn't use Ruby's former relationship with the teammate as a valid excuse. When one turns on Weiss, there aren't any second chances. An enemy to one Schnee is an enemy to all. Words that were sunk into the synapses of his brain. Words he heard from his former wife whenever he was to _violate _anything against the white-haired woman.

He scrolled onto his music player and shifted it to random. Hip-hop music entered into his earbuds as he placed them into his ear. He tried relaxing and get comfortable, uncertain when they would depart.

_**Several years ago….**_

Jaune's father once told him that when he gets older, everything would make sense. He found it amusing. A young boy, drinking milk from a coffee cup and sitting on the bean bag chair while his father was working on repairing a flooded motor on a Vespa. Jaune didn't know much about machinery but his father always explained about adding a little elbow grease and love, then everything looks like new.

There they were in the basement. The sisters and his mother were having a girls' day out. Jaune's father wasn't a sensible type when it came to the delicacy of a child. Nevertheless, Jaune couldn't ever picture one bad memory about his father. Of course, he worked overtime a little much, drank beer that was twice his body mass index, and could curse like a sailor when playing darts, but nevertheless a wonderful father.

Jaune's father was wiping the grease from the motorcycle onto his overalls. He went to the record player, listening to a track from Common's _One Day It'll All Make Sense_. Atypical for a farming boy who grew a blue-collared, conservative family, but his father was never afraid to open his mind to music. He always told him that music can reach places where no legs can go.

'Son, what do you know about women?' Jaune's father was wiping his hands as he was reaching for another can of beer. Jaune looked fixated on that question that he stopped making bubbles with his straw.

'Daddy?'

'Well, son, it isn't a hard question.' He made his boastful laugh that could wake the dead. 'Just a simple question, son. No harm or foul. Just wanted to see what an eight-year-old could tell me about girls.'

'Well, girls are icky!'

'Icky or not, son. Someday, you will come across that special girl that can sweep you off your feet.'

Jaune made a harmonized 'no' when hearing that. 'No! Nope! Iie! Nada! Zip!'

Jaune's father put his palm onto his son's tiny shoulder. 'Relax, son. As I'd told you, no harm or foul.' Jaune's father lowered the volume of the record player at a reasonable sound. He grabbed the nearest crate to sit beside him on the bean bag chair. 'I think I was right around that age when my old lady told me that same question.'

''Old lady,' Daddy?'

'I didn't have a pappy around, son. Old son of a gun was crooked like a politician, mean as a snake, and surly like the grouch from that movie you like every Christmas.'

It was met with a tickled laughter. '_Grinch_, Daddy!'

His father patted his round belly. He rubbed his blonde goatee, removing any specs or crumbs found hidden in that bushy forest. 'Grinch, right! I just know whenever you and the girls watch it, your mother cooks the ham…'

'...And you sit on the big, fat couch with a tall glass of egg nog.'

He raised the can of beer to his son. 'That there, my son deserves a toast!'

As father and son clinked their drink, he tried to return to the subject at hand.

'Son, I was asking you about girls because I just wanted to see what do you think of them? Outside of the kissy, kissy, holding hands kind of thing.'

The long-haired Jaune rubbed his face, removing any specs or crumbed found within the scored Earth. Jaune's father knew that his mannerisms were catching on with him. 'Well, Pop. I know that with girls, you are to respect them.'

'Okay. I like that.'

'With girls, you are supposed to open doors for them. You are supposed to be nice, be kind, and don't ever call them out of their name.'

Jaune's father took a sip of his beer. 'You were listening to your Daddy and Mama quite well. I applaud you, my boy.' He used his fist to dab his shoulder. 'I didn't have that kind of talk with my old man. That old menace used to…' He paused, trying to find a more suitable word. 'Push her around and did a lot of mean things.'

'Your Daddy?'

'Yes, son! He was very mean to Ma and he was quite mean to me as well, Jaune.'

'Whatever happened to your Daddy.'

Jaune's father was scratching under his underarms before answering his son. 'One day, you got gone.'

'Got gone?'

'Just left. No note or nothing. Just left everything to tend for Ma and I.' He sighed heavily before drinking more of his beer. 'It wasn't all bad. No longer did he push me and Ma around. It was just the two of us. We had rough days - no electricity, no water, no food. Eventually, I dropped out of school at twelve to work odd jobs to support Ma and me.' He patted his chest. 'I may not have any type of schooling, but a lot of my education was in here.' He placed his hand on his heart. 'The things I've learned from Ma was to take care of family and be good to your wife.' He turned and looked at his son. 'That is why I wanted to talk to you. About what you know about girls.'

Jaune stared blankly onto his earnest father.

'Always treat them with respect. Always look them in the eye. It shows that you are serious. Do your best to put them first, even if it means going second place.' His father took another sip of beer. 'Always protect your wife. Even through hard times, always and I mean _always _be there for her. A man always put his woman first.'

'Daddy!'

'Listen! You may be too young to understand what I am telling you but I just want you to be the best man you can.' He saw that he finished his can and reached for another. 'In return, she must do the same. This isn't a one-man show. When you and that girl get together, you become one!'

Jaune nodded approvingly, not even knowing what his father was discussing. If only if he knew then what was listening to was marinating in his brain until the right moment, he could have become better prepared for what he was facing. In the years before meeting Weiss Schnee.

'Son, I love you. I know it is hard to say such a word but I show it the best way I can.' His father took his son's hand. 'Somebody, your hands will become big like mine. Responsibilities, workmanships, success, _a college diploma_, and putting a ring in a girl's finger will be filled with these hands. Trained your hands to be the masters of your destiny. Use your mind to stay focus on what is in front of you. And one more thing - to love a woman is to take care of your mother and sisters. I may not be here one day and if I were to die, I need you to take care of them in my place.'

Jaune released another chuckle. 'You won't go anywhere, Daddy! You are strong, invincible, and mighty.'

_Jaune, Dear! We are back and we got pizza!_

'And hungry,' said his father. 'I am going to grab some pizza. Want a slice?'

'In a minute, Daddy! I want to finish my milk. Can't waste any drops, do we?'

Jaune's father gave him a tiny slap to the nape of his neck. 'You listen to your mother. That is where you get that from. I'll be right back. Got a deadline with a Vespa.'

Jaune listened as his father walked up the rickety staircase to the living room. Jaune leaned back on the bean bag chair, listening to the soundtrack of Common. "Reminding Me (Of Sef)" was playing softly in the background. As he grew older, he grew akin to the values, the discrepancies, the viewpoint, and even the versatile taste in music. The basement talks were one of the most stood out moments in his young life. Such advice resonated into his young brain as if he had stolen it to claim it as his own.

Wise words his father have ever given. His father, his smile and boastfulness about love, music, and repairing vehicles, forever ingrained in Jaune's memory banks.

_**Back to the present...**_

"Reminding Me (Of Sef)" was concluding in his music player. Jaune couldn't remember how many times he has recited Common's _One Day It'll All Make Sense _into his daily routine. Even on the very day at eleven years old when walking on the muddy track home from his father's funeral, he returned to the basement. Drenched, shoes tracking mud, and without a father, he returned to the basement to where his father would have been. He would pull the album from his vinyl cover, turned it to the record player, grabbed his ceremonious glass of milk, and listen to the beats.

_**A few years ago...in happier times….**_

'_Your Papa was meaningful to you, wasn't it?'_

Jaune was sitting outside in the parking lot when Weiss came to give him a drink of water. Yang's bucket that was an old Honda Accord was on the fritz. She knew that was one street mechanic that could fix at a fraction of a real mechanic.

The friendship discount.

'Yeah, he was.' Jaune wiped the sweat with his arm. He was filling his father's former footsteps. Greased-up overalls, sitting on a crate. He wasn't a drinker so a glass of milk or a soda would do.

'I think water would suit you more, dear, since you are in this heat.' Weiss kneeled down as she sat next to Jaune. She smelled like a moist flower. He was surprised that Weiss wanted to sit this close to a sweaty, greasy teen. He hasn't bathed since he was working on Yang's car but it didn't matter to Weiss. Weiss would say that she liked his scent, reminding her that she was around a hardworking trusting man.

'Thanks,' he said to her before kissing her on the cheek. She was flushed, holding onto her cheek, cherishing his warm kisses. She, then, returned his kiss with another one on his cheek. It sent shock waves to the young adult. That sense of comfort to know that he was in the company of a wonderful woman. A woman that he had hoped to Oum that she was the woman that his father had mentioned in their talks when he was a kid.

'Hey! You didn't answer my question.'

'About what?'

'Your Pops!'

'Oh,' said Jaune as he rubbed the back of his head. 'My dad was an honest-to-Oum good man. A man's man. He treated his family right. He was good to my sisters and my mother.' He swung his monkey wrench. 'Taught me a thing or two about fixing buckets and Vespas.' He pointed to Weiss' vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz c300. 'Speaking of which, your oil is changed and car is detailed.'

Immediately, she embraced the blond, nuzzling her soft face with warm kisses. 'Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You deserve a hug and a kiss!' In her usual sensual demeanor, she positioned her body onto her lap. 'Right where I belong. On top of Papa!'

Jaune tried to keep his composure, especially when he was outside. 'Baby, not now. We are outside.'

She giggled, nuzzling her hair upon his face and purposely scooting his lap to stir a boner. 'Before there were homes, cavemen and cavewomen did it out in nature.' She began kissing under his chin.

'Yeah, probably before there was law enforcement, too.'

He kissed her on the lips. Then a peck and another peck. 'Ok, Jauney. Don't have your panties in a knot.' Being a bit seductive, she raised her shirt, showcasing her panties. 'I have a sexy t-back with your name on it. Finish Yang's motor and then fix my motor.' She gave him another kiss. 'When you are finished, head upstairs, baby. Well, a little bit later. I have some Psych homework to finish.'

He clicked his tongue to confirm their schedule. Jaune put his headphones back on as he returned back to the sounds of Common.

'Hey, Weiss?'

She turned around, showing her usual happy expression. 'Yeah, baby? What's up!'

'What made you think about my dad. Just wondering.'

She put her finger to her lip. Jaune knew she was pondering a response. 'Just from what you've told me about him. It seems like you are searching for the familiarity of sorts.' She winked. 'Just out of pure observation.' She blew him a kiss before returning to the apartment.

Jaune blew on a part before using his cloth to clean it. _Yang should be able to be ready to drive this by tomorrow at least._

_Where in the hell did things go wrong?!_

_**Back to the present….**_

The Alan Parsons Project was now the next track on his soundtrack. No longer was he in the safe hands of his father in the basement. No longer fixing vehicles in front of his and Weiss' college apartment. "I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You" was impacting his ear canal, vacating the thoughts of yesteryear. Those days, those cheerful days of Weiss were gone. Talking to his father for advice was gone. Holding on to his callous hands, it, too, depicted the happily ever after was nothing more than just a fallacy, an aberration.

Staring at the darkened ring around his left hand where his wedding ring used to be, it served as a reminder.

_Somebody, your hands will become big like mine. Responsibilities, workmanships, success, a college diploma, and putting a ring in a girl's finger will be filled with these hands. Trained your hands to be the masters of your destiny. Use your mind to stay focus on what is in front of you. And one more thing - to love a woman is to take care of your mother and sisters. I may not be here one day and if I were to die, I need you to take care of them in my place._

His father's words continued to ring as it did in the basement. He was blessed that his father didn't live to see those words blow up in smoke. Instead, it was a gas leak at a plastics factory that did that to his father.

"Would you like anything to drink, sir?"

Jaune opened his eyes. He didn't even know he had fallen asleep. The plane was now back in the air. Adjusting back to composure, he turned and saw the friendly eyes of the flight stewardess. Her eyes showed that she had a passion for a job as she did her customary deed of offering him, as a passenger, a beverage.

"Oh, yes ma'am," replied Jaune "I would like to have a diet coke, please." The stewardess gave him his drink with a napkin. He thanked her, including an additional complement of her mannerisms. As she walked away to tend to another passenger, he quickly drank his soda, feeling the cool sensation hitting the pit of his stomach. This was not his first time on an airplane, but it always made him nervous. No matter how lavish the furnishings were or how coordinately skilled the pilots were, an airplane would be never more than a metal tube.

He gave a sign of the cross for a safe landing upon arrival.

_You're nothing without me, Jaune. Understand that? Get that through your simple-minded brain._

_This is how a real man performs. Shall I have this stud give you pointers!_

_Listen, boy. The Schnee dynasty doesn't accommodate the help. Either you get with us or ejected by us._

_I've saved you from your piteous existence! Me, Weiss Schnee! Personally, if it wasn't for me, you would be shoveling mule shit. Learn your place, boy!_

_**Familiarity**_

Astounded as the words circulate into his troubled mind like the blood that goes from one place to the next. Better yet, how the brain transmits signals from one part of the cortex to the next. He made a slight smirk on the whereabouts of those signals prior to dating Weiss or moving in with Weiss or when he bent his knees to propose to Weiss.

Just saying her name now gave the blonde a vile taste in his mouth.

_In a few more hours, the name Weiss Schnee would be nothing more than an aberration._

He grabbed the newspaper he retrieved from the airport newsstand. He flipped through the newspaper that he was somewhat reading. He wasn't much of a fan of reading. It wasn't a strong dislike, he didn't have much time for it. After working tirelessly through handling the paperwork of his bosses and employers, then seeing words would become a strain to his tired eyes. He was exactly on the word, _tiring_.

_I've had enough. I am done. Isn't it so bad on the choice I have made? She had made her bed. She had laid with others with that bed. I have made mine. I thought we had a bed. But it turned out that there were made out of twin beds instead of a queen. I thought she was my queen. I thought I was her king. Looks whose head was sitting on the platter for others to revel and laugh against my resolve?_

Admittedly speaking, Jaune thought too much. He was an overthinker. Couldn't help it. Too much of his father in him. He flipped through the article where something caught his attention.

_The search has concluded on the reported missing seventeen-year-old that the media has called Boy X. Boy X was found stabbed to death in the basement of an abandoned home in Surrey. Next to the victim was another body, which was later identified as the girlfriend of the missing student. The cause of death of the girl, which has been identified as Girl Z, proves consistent with a suicide. Police don't want to speculate but are taking things into consideration. A suicide note has been discovered and has been taking to DNA Crime Lab for further investigation. This murder remains a mystery as much of the boy's disappearance._

He didn't want to read further. Too much strain on his eyes. He made a mental note to contact the optometrist when arriving in town.

_Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking. I am addressing that we will arrive at our destination within the next few hours. The time in Cardiff is eleven in the evening. Temperatures are in the upper sixties with partly cloudy skies. Feel free to check…._

Jaune took another drink of his soda. It was starting to get watery. The newspaper was still in his hand.

_Overthinking gets me in trouble too much._

He rested his palm on his lap. With his other palm, he placed it on his eyes. With the slightest fingertip, he felt that pain. It made him wince.

_It was much of a reminder than a message._

The pain in his right eye was remnants of a greenstick fracture. Although the bone has healed, the pain has remained. It was a parting gift from one of Weiss' suitors a few months back after discovering them in their bedroom.

It was also the final straw on his jagged back that led Jaune to move forward to the divorce proceedings. It was a beautiful and sunny day. A day like no other.

_**A few months ago….**_

Jaune opted out of ordering lunch and decided to head back to the manor. He knew he was going to be alone, which he didn't mind for a change. According to Weiss, she was leaving town for business and wasn't going to be back for a few days. Being dutifully loyal to his wife, he made sure that the house stayed clean, food was stocked, and their pet Daschund was fed. Jaune was fine with that. It didn't even matter that there was a maid who was responsible for these tasks. Jaune played the role of a loyal husband, something his parents instilled him to be.

There were going to be minor hangups, disagreements, and mistakes. Nevertheless, Jaune lived by his vows. If Weiss were to try harder, he will manage to stay. Of course, his co-workers would ridicule, laugh, and tease for being a cuckold to an unfaithful marriage. He knew he was foolish but nevertheless, he was going to give Weiss that chance to change. He had hoped that whatever was in her system, it would flush out and they can return to happier times. Moments that made him fall in love in the Snow Princess.

After what he encountered in the bedroom, Jaune knew that those days would never return ever again.

Jaune showed his ID to the security guard as he entered the affluent subdivision. He was whistling a tune as he was going to take this moment to eat his lunch in peace and make a few phone calls to his family. Even phone calls to them were serving more as a rarity. Weiss didn't even allow that kind of luxury to him unless their surname was Schnee or anyone that deemed _affluent_.

He clicked the button to open his garage. It was a five-car garage. He became perplexed when seeing Weiss' car was in her parking space. But in his parking spot, it was a car that he didn't recognize.

He parked his car outside and entered the garage. He was certain that Weiss left in her vehicle. He didn't recall any Uber, Lyft, or their personal courier picking her up to take her to the airport. He concluded that he was fatigued. It wasn't his wife's first time leaving her vehicle here.

He entered the elevator that led him to his home. As soon as he pressed the button, chills were going through his spine. It was followed by an empty feeling in his gut.

_I am opening a door that shouldn't be opened. Turn back now._

He misjudged it for hunger pains. He has been cutting back, working on eating clean foods to become more healthier. He wanted to bulk up, display his body to impress Weiss. He had also planned another honeymoon. According to his therapist, it was something to open up in the divide of their relationship.

_This door shouldn't be opened. Turn back now._

His conscience was speaking to him. It was serving as a voice of discernment. He shook away those thoughts as he entered the home.

_Why fear? This is my home. A place of peace. A place of familiarity. _Jaune rubbed the tension of his shoulder, following by rubbing his stomach. _Don't worry, belly. Daddy is going to fill you up soon._

Routinely enough, he entered the residence without incident. He placed his jacket on the nook next to the door. In the open space below the nook, he retired his shoes. He shouldn't be long, he thought. He was going to make a salad, grab some fruit for a snack, and return to work.

_It's too late to turn back. What you are about to witness is something you should not have to see._

He hoped to be back in time before dinner. He had a recipe in mind to make for him and Weiss. He hoped that this alternative lifestyle of a diet could influence Weiss that he was changing.

_I am making smarter choices, Weiss. I am eating better. I am taking care of myself. Is this enough, Weiss? Am I pleasing you? Am I making you happy, Weiss?_

He called her name, but she didn't answer. The house was quiet.

_Why aren't you checking upstairs?_

He called her name once more, but she didn't answer. Maybe she wanted to take a nap. He opened the refrigerator, gathering the materials for his salad. He focused on his lunch that he didn't pay attention to the two empty containers of Korean take-out on the counter.

He turned the water on in the sink. He had the vegetables on the countertop.

_Why aren't you going to the bedroom?_

He was mindful of watching the knife. He didn't want to cut himself.

_Why aren't you checking the bedroom? The truth is within there. Why aren't you going? You have made it this far. Why turn back now?_

"There'll no darkness tonight," he said melodically. He continued humming the song that belonged to Michael Jackson. "The Lady in My Life" was a powerful serenade. From his _Thriller_ album, this song was also he and Weiss' song. They shared their first kiss on this song when they went to senior prom together at Beacon Academy.

He was mid-cut of the spinach, we heard a thump from the ceiling. His eyes averted from the counter to the ceiling. It wasn't loud but wasn't soft. Nevertheless, it was enough to recognize his attention. His ear picked up something and it wasn't the water.

_...when we're old and grey_

_I will love you more each day._

_Cause you will always be the lady in my life_

He left the water running. He trailed from the kitchen, making his trail to the point of origin. He made his first step. Then his second step. Then his fifth and his eighth and his eleventh. There were twenty-five steps to the second floor. Each step, his heart ran. Each step, his stomach groaned. He was feeling heavy. The closer he got, the more he knew he was stepping into something he shouldn't have discovered.

_**Familiarity**_

His mother once told him that when something is yours, it becomes familiar. It belongs to you. You have the right for as long as you treated well. He lived by that principle. Weiss belonged to him. His rights to taking out the effort of establishing a profound relationship. He loved Weiss. He truly did. This chase, this dance, this game he played wasn't out of sheer luck. He had loved her since their days at Beacon Academy. Even after graduation, he had loved her more each day.

For she was always going to be the lady in his life.

Interesting how his thoughts take control. He didn't even realize that his sights were on their bedroom door. His eyes narrowed to the knob. He took cautious breaths. "The Lady in My Life" continued to play in the room.

_Our song!_

"Quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath."

He took another breath.

"Quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath."

His mother was a believer in the Oum faith. Taking him and his sisters to church was a must. _Understand that we have storms, Jaune. No matter what! Even through these storms, there is an eye in the storm. Peace can be within that storm. So, keep moving forward, my dear Jaune._

"Quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath."

A surge of energy was born. It entered the synapses of his brain, giving him the signals to make his next move.

"Quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath."

He put his hand on the knob and turned it. He released a sigh. He went into the room.

Weiss was lying underneath their quilt.

_I need you by your side_

A man that wasn't him was cupping her breast. He, too, was in his nakedness.

_Don't you go nowhere._

His hands were nimble, delicate to the touch of her supple breast. Weiss bathed in the ecstasy. Her ripe pussy was exposed, prone to vulnerability as the man eyed her sacred place.

_Let me keep you warm_

The man continued with his tongue, trailing from her breast to her stomach. His wife was overcome with such fiery passion in herself, especially within her loins. Her legs were twitching. Her pelvis wanted something room. Her body hinted it for words weren't necessary as their bodies connected to their desires.

_You are the lady in my life_

Her pussy was very smooth, with a small prickle of white hair. The man looked in awe of how beautiful her pussy was. Unsure if the man's mind was not enjoying it, but his body definitely was.

"Lick," she commanded. She grabbed his head and began licking her pussy. Like a puppy, he was lapping her folds. Wanting more pressure, she placed his head hard against her pussy. From Jaune's position, it was enough of a challenge for the man to breathe, but that didn't faze Weiss as she getting herself off.

_I want to touch you baby_

Still grabbing his head, she continued to rub her until she had an orgasm. Clear fluid squirted all over his face. She screamed his name before dropping to her knees.

_Lay back in my tenderness_

"The lady in my life." Jaune's voice was low. It was audible enough to capture the man and Weiss' attention.

The man's eyes focused on Jaune. It was quite a pregnant stare. Jaune averted when seeing that he still had the knife.

_I love you! I love you! I need you! I want you, baby_

There wasn't enough time to process the part when Jaune was met with a fist to his eye. His hand hit the back of the wall. He slid down the wall with his still focusing on Weiss.

For a second, just a split second, she smiled.

It was fortunate that he had missed it.

_**Back to the present….**_

"Sir, sir. Are you okay?" Someone was calling. The muffled voice seemed to reach to him from the depths of a cave. It finally dawned on the blonde that he was hearing his own name. "Sir, are you alright? Do we need to page for help?" The voice sounded closer now.

Jaune finally opened his eyes, managed to focus them, and stared at his own right hand gripping the newspaper. His fingers tore through the paper. A hint of red dyed into the newsprint. It didn't take a genius to know that it was his own blood. The smell of sweat acknowledged his presence, oddly giving off an odor like a zoo animal.

His throat was dry. He reached for the watered diet soda, draining it, ice and all. It took a few seconds before realizing the flight attendant stood before him. Her distance was close, but enough to ensure her attention focused on him. He set the empty cup down and wiped his chin with a napkin.

He now had her attention.

"Sorry," he said. "I am okay now."

He was grateful that it was too late in the evening for the others were sleeping in their peaceful slumber instead of witnessing his episode. Per instruction, he followed the stewardess to the back of the plane. He felt embarrassed, guilty as if he had made an accident and was being reported to the principal's office to call his mother.

The stewardess, still carrying a worrisome face, reached for a towel. She turned on the water, applying heat. Jaune covered his mouth as if he wanted to vomit. He wasn't sick. He was a bit tired, a bit famished. He was hungry. He wouldn't mind a snack.

"Take this!" The stewardess handed him a hot towel. He thanked her as he applied it to his hand. He was careful to not feel any sores. He had another wincing for one day.

"Thanks." Jaune returned the towel back to the woman. She bowed in the form of a greeting before turning around to the sink. Jaune noticed a sweet honeydew scent coming from her. She smelled pleasant like a moist flower. She didn't look that far from his age. Short, yet slender. Redhead. Her eyes were green as the emerald itself. Her appearance didn't say cute. Too immature, the blonde thought. She was beautiful. That was all he could say.

"I think you might need this." It was a bag of peanuts. Not his favorite, but he was too hungry to care. He used his teeth to open the wrapper.

The stewardess leaned back on the counter and smiled. "After all of these years, things haven't changed."

Her voice drew attention to the blonde. He put the snack down. He trailed his eyes to the woman in question. As if a wave of memories impacted his horizon, he nearly choked on his spit.

"Pyrrha?"

The redhead smiled. "In the flesh, Jaune Arc."

_Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are close to our arrival at the terminal. Seatbelt signs are back on and those who are standing should immediately take your seat as we descend._

Jaune was about to move but was stopped by his long lost friend.

"Seat belts are provided here. I'll tell them you were sick." She winked as she prepared her seat as she sat across from them.

_**Meanwhile….**_

Weiss looked at her window to see the beautiful view of the evening sky. The clouds lie as numerous pebbles on the beach, small and heaped in chaotic ways. Above is a drifting mist, thin, oddly transparent, like a half-erased footprint in the sand. The fragments of clouds, as if painted by an artistic hand, delicate inflections of the brush spreading orange over red.

Weiss picked up her coffee cup. She tasted nothing, just some lukewarm liquid passing down her throat. On her tray in front of her, she was drawing a sketch. _It was a leaf skeleton, its green flesh eaten away to leave only a lacy cellulose network - fragile, natural, beautiful in its own way. My eyes traveled over its' ovoid shape, thrown into sharp relief by the deep plum background. Our creativity brings our dreams to life; inspiring, enchanting, bringing us closer to Oum. In art our spirits rise, in stories, we are enthralled and elevated. With creativity we make connections between disparate people, we learn that through our many lenses we are seeing the same whole, only the path before our feet is still blurred. Life should never be art vs science, but a beautiful marriage of the two._

She took a brief pause, staring at her delicate fingers. On her ring finger were two bands; both symbolized the marriage between her and Jaune.

_The air is frozen lace on my skin, delicate and cold, like winter waves on shallow sand. The sky is washed with grey, watery light illuminating thin patches of brilliance. He took my hands, provided me with its warmth. He gave me such a lovely speech. Such delicacy and elegance. It brought actual tears to my eyes._

"For in sickness and in health. For better or for worse." Weiss held on the ring that Jaune left. She was certain that he will be wearing it in the future.

_Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking. I am addressing that we will arrive at our destination within the next few hours. The time in Cardiff is seven in the morning. Temperatures are in the lower fifties with mostly cloudy skies. Feel free to check…._

_**To be continued….**_


	3. Winter's Rapture

_**Hey, guys! BD and GOTA, here, with an amended chapter of "Time of Departure." As reminded, this story may or may not reflect the original story we have written in 2018 on our RWBY anthology, "The Taste of Rain." In this chapter, Jaune arrives at the airport. As he waits on his taxi, his thoughts are filled with yesteryear from an old friend and painful memories from his former wife, Weiss.**_

_**Warning: the story contains strong subject matter (violence, domestic abuse, murder, netorare, minor/referenced sexual content). Discretion is advised. If this story isn't your cup of tea, then please refrain from reading this.**_

He had arrived at the Cardiff Airport at the peak of dawn. The airport looked more like a shopping mall than anything Jaune had expected. The tiles under foot gleamed white and everywhere were people milling around. There were two glass elevators leading to a lower floor which had the appearance of a food mall. And in the middle of several large open areas were blue fabric covered seats. The air was cool and only the faint aroma coming down from the food area gave it any scent. Some stairs lead up to a viewing deck where eager children watched the airplanes take off and land. There were mounted telescopes for them to look through and the back wall was one large window. Behind the telescopes was a scale model of the airport with the runways marked on it.

Jaune took a breath. It wasn't a typical everyday breath, but a release of tension that has been weighing heavy on his mind.

"Home," he had said to himself. "Home," he said again with a hint of excitement in his voice. Along came the excitement included the crestfallen melancholy of the last time he has been home. "Two years." He lowered his head to his chest. Gripping to his earbud cords as he headed to his destination, a sense of bitter pain came from the sweetness of his return. He couldn't wrap his brain around the fact that he hasn't been home in two years. A place that made him. The place that was his domicile, his place of peace, his familiarity.

He tried his best to keep his composure. Although back in common ground, he wasn't exactly out of the woods. In the heart of hearts, he wanted that chapter of his former life to come to a close. A chapter in which there weren't any sequels, any follow ups. A chapter in which he could ask his living Oum to delete out of his memory banks, he wouldn't mind. Those wasted years of a loveless marriage. The energy, the dedication, the devotion, and the loyalty that he put into was nothing more than senseless waste. He bit into his lip as thought with every fiber of his being. Every tooth, nail, and bone to make his marriage with Weiss work. Even back when they were lovers, why didn't he see the bigger picture? Was it because of the rose-colored glass? Maybe he hoped at some point, she would be reachable? Maybe he was in the search of familiarity that he saw in the marriage of his parents?

It mattered not as he took another break. Like a whale breaching out of the darkened sea for breath, the chains were broken and he had made his exodus back to his home.

The prodigal son was back. The question is how long.

Jaune took an elevator and made his descent toward baggage claim. There were plasma screens of arrival and departure times on the wall of the airport. People were lined up at the check-in desk with suitcases and baggage. There was a sculpture of a whale with water cascading from its mouth and flowing down its tail flukes. In the background, soft classical music played. In the arrivals lounge, there was a curious mixture of bored and excited people. Becoming tired and weary from the flight, he just wanted to grab his luggage and head toward the rental car area in search of a taxi.

Keeping the communication minutely as possible, he had informed Ren on Messenger to alert the others that he had made it safely. He also told Ren to keep safe as he was on the run, it wouldn't be long before Weiss would ask questions to him about his whereabouts. He knew Ren could handle himself. A semblance wasn't needed when he kept a Saturday Night Special underneath his couch in the living room. Jaune knew it was more for Nora's safety versus Ren's. Jaune also knew that Nora was expecting a baby boy in the next couple of months and Jaune made a silent prayer that Weiss wouldn't be bold enough to mess with them.

Despite their minimal involvement in this chase, anyone aiding to help him was facing danger. He made another text to Ren to have Ruby and the others on standby in case Weiss or someone from the Schnee Dust Company were in search of them about his whereabouts.

As for his family, his twin sister Joan was the only one aware of his arrival. He had told her to keep it lowkey as he didn't want to create a stir with the family. He took another breath, knowing that he was closer to his home. The patriarchal prodigal brother returned to claim what was bestowed to him. He could imagine Julie baking a butterscotch pie for him while making spiritual chants. Junko was warming up the extra controller to play _Madden _together so she can cheat to win. His now not-so-little Kickapoo Joey would still sit on his lap as they watched _My Hero Academia _together.

He gripped his earbud cords once more. The warm and tight embrace of his mother. The blonde elder enclosing him like a spider does to his prey, never wanting to let him go. The warm tears dropping onto his face, coinciding with the rivers of tears out of his sullen eyes. Jaune felt bad for not being there with his mother at her time of need. He hated missing out many of the great events that had occurred in his absence.

They were fickle, finicky people; the closest of the family since his childhood. Joan has always been their good fortune. She was the oldest by a few minutes, making him the younger sibling. It wasn't easy living in a house of girls. With their father deceased, he took responsibility for being the patriarch, a role to this day he never felt worthy of having. He gripped his right hand. It was something of the air that gave Jaune a thought as he pondered on what things he prepared to do for his family when he returned back home.

He never liked worrying his mother, let alone his sisters in general. Despite Joan's persistence in picking up her only brother, he refused. He didn't want to disturb them. This was his own cross to bear. They didn't force him to make the vows, kiss the bride, and jump the broom. They didn't force him to suffer the physical and mental abuse, the lies, the deceit, and the cheating. They didn't force him to undergo the suffering from every Schnee member in the home. The messed-up parlor games the family would play at him - which Schnee could make Jaune broken the most? Which one could make Jaune cry? He gripped his side. Within the confines of his clothing lied a tattoo. He got it a few days before departing on this trip.

Jaune was used to pain. The needle hitting his skin was minute compared to years of torture from the love of his life. Ren and Nora were present as he spent the last six hours watching the ink seeping into his skin and the blood exiting out of it. Never did such pain felt good for it wasn't a pain of torture, but of relief.

Written in cursive was a phrase. Accompanied by it were broken chains. It was a declaration that he had learned from the days of his father. The words that his father had told him whenever he felt burdens and bondage were overcoming him. Jaune wasn't religious. But always felt there was a spiritual connection within this world. If the gods were real, then they know his struggle very well.

_For who the son sets free is free indeed._

He stepped outside to inhale the salty air, his birthright. Something about being away for some time makes a person forgetful of their childhood.

Home, a place of peace, a place of somber, a place of familiarity.

_Familiarity_

Such a powerful word itching and edging his brain. As if his destiny was to return to where it had all started. _The prodigal son returns._ He snapped his finger. _The prodigal patriarch returns._ He had snapped it once more. He just wanted to be sure that his eyes were deceiving him. He was back home. He was back into the place of peace. He was back in the place of familiarity.

_Son, never let anyone take away your authority as a man. If so, they will use it against you, Jaune._

_Dad, you know I wouldn't let anyone take away that. It is my birthright._

_What you are propelling to me are words. Words are meaningless if it doesn't come with your actions._

_Dad, have some faith! I am much capable of handling my own._

_I want to believe you, son! However, you share your mother's blood as well. Not everyone is worthy of knowing you as a person. Some will use it to their advantage. I know you are still a child. Heck, you are even now ten._

_I am eleven, Dad!_

_That is my point, son! I am telling you this now because at some point, you will get tested._

Amazing how his father's voice entered his mind as he was in search of the rental car place. Since his phone didn't have service to Wales yet, he went to the service clerk to request a taxi or an Uber.

_"After all of these years, things haven't changed."_

_"Pyrrha?"_

_"In the flesh, Jaune Arc."_

The only words that could come out of his lips were amazing. To think that as they were in their late twenties, such essence of beauty remained with the redhead Spartan. To think that they were the same age and she hasn't changed. The only difference was that they were no longer teammates and she decided to lead the battle with passengers and instead of Grimm.

She didn't have much time to speak since she was busy aiding passengers. From what she had told him during their landing, she has been working as a flight attendant for the last few years. She gave him her number so they could catch up. The duo quickly embraced before he headed out of the airplane.

He hasn't seen her since their days at University. They were best friends. They were thick as thieves. From their Beacon days until university, the pair was inseparable. They were highly mistaken as a couple. She was his Bonnie and he was her Clyde. They didn't think anything was going to sever their ties together.

At least until he and Weiss became serious.

_**A few years ago….**_

Summers back home was a wondrous experience. Jaune felt that he could breathe again. The days of huntsmen training, combating with teams, studying, exam-taking, and practicing for the future were dead. Back in his village, he could shed the layers of Jaune Arc, hunter-in-training to simply be Jauney. His mother was grateful as the prodigal patriarch returned home. He was welcomed in the sea of kisses from his eight sisters. Each of them wanted to explain their stories, their adventures, their dreams, who they were dating, what they wanted out of him. Overwhelming and exhausting but that was his family. And he was grateful for being back home for these eight short weeks.

Jaune was tying his shoe at the foot of the stairs. They weren't exactly needed to be tied but he wanted something to do. Pyrrha was good enough to come up with an excuse to borrow his phone for the night. It was the excuse of being grounded, dropping her phone into water, or being stolen from the girls' locker room. Which one did he accept and gave it without any resolve? Why couldn't he simply say no to the redhead Spartan? It wasn't hard. Just put his lips together and produce the consonant-vowel.

In the end, she reigned victoriously.

Pyrrha Nikos was Jaune's best friend number two or number one. It depended on how aggravating or how convincing she and Lie Ren could be to keep his attention. Honestly, Jaune didn't believe in ranking which friend is the best. He knew Pyrrha longer before Lie Ren entered his life.

So, it was safe to say whenever they were back home, Pyrrha was top of the friendship totem pole.

Pyrrha was the visiting neighbor girl he met when he was eight years old. He guessed that Pyrrha didn't like staying alone with her soap-opera-watching, chain-smoking, nightgown-wearing aunt and her large, overweight German Shepherd called Bitsy. Jaune was playing alone in the ditch playing hunter when they met. Using a cardboard sword he constructed out of glue sticks, construction paper, and the cereal box, it served as a mighty weapon as he fought off his enemies, Grimm, Beowulf, and saved his imaginary damsel from danger.

He could never forget her face upon their first meeting. She was a tomboyish kid - a pink muscle tee-shirt and blue jeans. Shoes were muddy and laces were undone. Scattered teeth like she was chewing rocks out of recreation.

Even now as she was back then, the redhead always ran the show. She was to be waited on until the appointed time was finished. At least this time, there weren't any consequences of Indian burns, wet willies, or atomic wedgies. Instead, buying her lunches or for this instance, holding his cell phone for ransom. In a sense, he sort of lied about her excuses for borrowing the phone.

Be that as it may, the friendship blossomed into a close kinship. What was supposed to be a visit to her aunt turned into permanent living arrangements upon learning that Pyrrha's mother simply left the country to meet a foreigner she met on the computer. Pyrrha was a tough-as-nails kind of individual. Not once did she cry over her mother. As long as she had her neighbor Jaune by her side, everything else didn't matter.

Jaune looked at his watch. It was a quarter until midnight. Fortunately, it was Saturday and his mother was working the graveyard shift at the meat-packing factory. Although she wouldn't ask questions, he just wanted absolute certainty that his younger siblings were okay.

Overlooking the narrow staircase, he could hear Pyrrha's footsteps stopping at the edge. "Oi! Junko and Julie called your phone. They wanted to see where you placed the dressing from Christmas."

Jaune turned to see his best friend-in-question. Even from this position, she probably reeks of sweat from being consumed in that hot box to serve the tiny metropolis the movies of yesteryear. Pyrrha worked weekend nights at the movie theatre. A tiny speck on the edge of town. The movie theatre was one of the most recent features added to their destitute despot that they affectionately called home. As if they were trapped in the years of VHS tapes, camcorders, cassette tapes, and old-school arcade setups, it was the place where many villagers perused the establishment to feel as though this place had a purpose.

And Pyrrha was wrapping up the last movie before closing up shop for the night.

_Amityville Horror _was the movie of the night.

"Just text 'em and let 'em know that it is in the deep freezer," replied Jaune as he stood up to stretch his legs. Sitting complacently after thirty minutes could place numbness in the legs. As he waited for the impending tingling sensation of blood refilling his legs, he faced his best friend. "And be sure to tell Junko to let Julie or Jenna run the microwave." He scratched the back of his head. "We can't afford another microwave."

Pyrrha complied with his request with the okay sign. However, she remained standing. When the Spartan remained motionless, he knew there was something else. One of his chagrins of her having his phone, wandering eyes and prying thoughts.

"You and Weiss are going somewhere fun together and not inviting me?" Pyrrha feigned a pout. Rubbing her eyes to mimic tears. "To think I was this close to letting you have your phone back."

"Fortunately, your aunt dearest informed me that you have a new phone coming in two days," said Jaune with a grin. "Just in time to look for your own news and pay for the business that you mind."

"C'mon, Jauney! It gets boring watching you and Weiss go kissy-kissy, goo-goo all of the time," she said while patting her thighs. "Granted the Snow Princess is a cutey but sex shouldn't be the only thing on a guy's mind." She raised her hand. "Grinding on four-wheelers, creating tractions with our bikes, and tossing rocks at the overpass." She raised her eyebrows. "Speaking of which, you have missed the fun from last week's rock-throwing."

"I didn't have to be there to hear it," said Jaune. "Your aunt gave an earful to Mom after you broke Ironwood's windshield."

The teen smiled. "Guess who can work more?"

"And guess who is grounded until college," retorted Jaune.

She blew a raspberry. "Oum, you're no fun! I want the old Jaune back. Not the dull dishwater, golf-links, country-club-sporting Jaune." She clicked her tongue. "I think Weiss is getting up in your head."

Jaune wouldn't like to call Pyrrha's feelings about Weiss jealousy. Whenever they were at school, she and Weiss would get along famously. Pyrrha was the first to know about his dating Weiss. It was in the library whenever he made the announcement to the redhead. He wasn't sure why he felt compelled to do this but he was seeking her blessing. They have been friends since they were the day they met when they were eight. They always seek each other's approval. Through the smile and the knock to his shoulder, she gave him the blessing. Out of nowhere, he kissed her on the cheek. He was surprised about doing the task as if seeking Pyrrha's approval was the final stage boss for his complete happiness.

"First of all, what Weiss and I do with sex is none of _your_ business," retorted Jaune. "For the record, we haven't gone all the way yet. She wanted to wait until we became more serious." He raised his index and middle finger. "Two, I am still the same Jaune. I am here, am I? Staying here at your shift, sneaking food to you, and _borrowing _my phone." He crossed his arms. "I couldn't imagine a better friend than that."

"Faunus, please," interjected Pyrrha. "So does a gofer-bully relationship." She winked. "Always remember the senpai-kouhai relationship, _boy_!"

"I would fix that tone or else you can indulge that philosophy while walking yourself home," retorted Jaune.

Pyrrha raised her finger. She opened her mouth but words couldn't be produced. "Moxy, Jaune, moxy!" She pursed her lip. "Maybe private school has dull my senses." She squeezed her nose to relieve an itch. "Or maybe I need to tighten my grip on you."

Jaune shook his head in disapproval. "Nothing changes, doesn't it?" He laughed while lowering his head. "And no matter what, I still love you dearly."

"I love you, too! You're still not getting your phone back until I get mine," said Pyrrha while sticking her tongue out. "So there!" She showed the peace sign. "I win!"

Jaune conceded. Pyrrha can be ongoing until she reigns champion. He paused when hearing the screams of a woman's plight coming from the theatre. Pyrrha turned around. "It seems we are almost at the conclusion. Care to join me?"

"Sure," said Jaune. "I am your ride home."

Jaune walked up the stairs to join the best friend of many years as they were finishing the final moments of the movie. He was familiar with the hotbox that was delightfully known as the reel room. Many employers didn't want to be confined in the wooden, corrugated death trap. Pyrrha didn't mind the adventure. And with the extra two dollars in her pay, she was glad to do. Plus, she didn't like being around people who disliked the idea of classic movies being boring, audacious, and lackluster.

Jaune sat in the only chair in the room. He spread his legs wide enough for Pyrrha to accompany him. That was the norm for the best friends. "Aren't you a prince," said Pyrrha as she sat in front of her.

"Do you have any leftover popcorn for the prince," said Jaune in a whispering manner.

"Of course," replied Pyrrha as she reached over the film reel to retrieve the paper bag. "Care for some nuts as well?"

Jaune declined the offer. "I'm good, Pyrrha! Thanks though!"

"Are you sure, Jaune?!" The tone sounded suspicious. "I have been saving them for you since you and Weiss became an item."

The response was met with a shower of popcorn on Pyrrha's head. "Oh, you little wench!"

Jaune tightened his grip around her hips. Using faux wrestling moves, he placed her to the ground. Pyrrha was grabbing his cheeks to remove himself from her.

"Oum, you play too much," said Jaune.

"The truth hurts doesn't it," said Pyrrha. Seeing an opening, she used her hand to pinch his nipples. Jaune flinched when realizing Pyrrha would pick his most sensitive area. She flipped him over and got on top of him. She placed her body weight on his hips and held him down. He could see the look in her eyes that she was serious about getting him well.

"Bow down," she told him.

"No," he told her.

"Say' bow down to me,'" she told him.

She had a good grip. From the position he was lying, he blushed as he could see the inside of her skirt. She was wearing her favorite blue panties. It didn't go without notice from the redhead, which made her blush. She hit him on his chest.

"Oum, you are such a perv," she told him before getting off of him. "You could have told me."

"How could I? Not my fault _you _decided to wear a skirt today."

"Is that how you're going to _pull _Weiss into boning you," she asked with a snickering grin. "Or you probably spank your monkey saying, 'Let me cream you, Weiss!'" She slapped her thigh with her hands. "'Let me cream you, Weiss! Let me cover you with my warm Snowy liquid!'"

"Fuck you," said Jaune as he got up from the floor. Pyrrha returned to her seat. Dusting off her hands, she turned to Jaune. "I am beginning to think that this is what you want, dead eye!" She winked. "What's the matter, Jauney?! Getting callous from having too many dates with your hand?!"

"Is that why the boys call you the Fiery Redhead," asked Jaune while smiling. "You give them that good head, they feel the heat afterward." He clicked his tongue. "That could explain why Cardin was walking like a bow-legged cowboy when we went to prom."

What in the hell," he barked before feeling the bag of popcorn hitting the back of his head.

She stuck out her tongue. "Rude to the lady to yell at this time of night. Respect to the moviegoers, too!"

"Respect, my ass!" Jaune stomped his foot. "It is nearly midnight and here I am picking you up! I could be in dreamland right now."

"Aww," she replied with a fake pout as she rubbed her eyes. "Sorry for interrupting your wet dreams!" She eagerly grinned as she walked toward him. She was tickled as she was picking up popcorn kernels around him. "Besides, you wouldn't leave a lady out in the dark alone, would you?" She batted her eyes. "Needed something to do anyway. So, I feel like messing with you." She narrowed her eyes. "And you love me for it."

Jaune turned beet red. As he aided her with picking up the popcorn kernels, she continued looking at him. "You didn't answer my question, Jauney. Do you love me?"

He raised his eyebrow. "Do I love you? You know I do."

She displayed a heavenly smile. A smile that was reflective of his departed father. Their smiles were alike. Crooked, yet charming. The smile that can win over anyone no matter the situation. Never did he think the tomboyish Pyrrha would now wear dresses and sport makeup. However, underneath it all was still the tough-as-nails, mudslinging in he type of girl.

An angel in his eyesight. A true friend indeed.

His Pyrrha.

"I love you, too." Pyrrha said as she picked the last kernel from his head. "Jaune?"

Jaune hesitantly looked up at her. The swirls of emotion he saw there made him gasp as her eyes were focusing on him. Eyes that looked as though were filled with lust and desire. However, before he could ponder about it further, she yanked him to her and covered his mouth with her in a hungry kiss. As their lips crushed together, it felt like he was walking on air. It was magic, the way her lips connected with his. Her mouth was so warm, the caress of her lips softer than he could have imagined and he opened his mouth with a low moan.

Before Jaune could register what had occurred, Pyrrha went in for another kiss. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, positioning herself onto his lap. Jaune could feel her tongue entering his. Still reeling in the shock that he was kissing his best friend, he tried resisting knowing that this wasn't Weiss. This wasn't his girlfriend. Yet again, why wasn't he doing anything to stop this?

She parted from his lips. She wiped the moisture from her lips with her shirt. "Jaune," she said calmly. "Please don't hate me for doing this." She took her moistened hands, laying every single digit on his blushed cheeks. She closed her eyes and planted another kiss, only this time to his neck. His neck was the nest of her tongue as she was very soft. His neck welcomed her moist muscle as it caressed the skin and the dead skin it collected to her. Jaune moaned out loud as he tried his hardest to collect the whimsicalness of the matter.

"The movie isn't over for another thirty minutes," she told Jaune as she began unbuttoning her shirt. Before he could speak again, she put her finger to his lips. "Sorry for not allowing you to speak. I don't want to hear the word no from your lips. Just do this selfish request of mine."

Jaune was at a loss for words, even if he could say something at this particular juncture. Earlier the duo were doing witty bantering over cell phones, teasing him about his relationship with Weiss, and wrestling each other. He knew he loved Pyrrha. The love was genuine but he was certain that there weren't any romantic feelings between the two.

"Jaune, you wouldn't question me if we explore one another?" She slowly pulled away her shirt, making him blush as he watched from seeing her collarbone to seeing her bra. "Would you allow me to do this?"

He swallowed the lump in his throat, extended the digits of his finger to his chest. He made a slight pinch. He winced.

He wanted to be sure if this was real.

With his best friend.

"Jaune?"

"Just be gentle."

_**Back to the present….**_

It was a secret that was kept between the best friends. It was a one time affair. He often pictured losing his virginity to his girlfriend, Weiss, in a soft and comfy bed while listening to soft rock or R&B music. And not to his best friend in the stale, musty booth in the movie theatre. Jaune was fortunate to have a condom when he and Pyrrha engaged in having sex. As a woman of her word, the incident was never discussed and their friendship continued as normal.

Even Jaune knew that their friendship couldn't return to normal after that.

Jaune sat at the bench as he waited for his taxi to arrive. Just wanting a reminder of yesteryear was the motive in lieu of ordering an Uber. He scrolled through his phone in search of some music to play as he waited. Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends" was his poison of choice. He leaned back as he tried to get himself comfortable. He shut his eyes, trying to focus his mind on the positives of being back home. Knowing he was closer to his mother and his sisters. Getting closer back to his place of solace. A place of peace. A place of familiarity.

His final thoughts were on Pyrrha before falling asleep.

_**A couple of years ago….**_

'You're not visiting because I've said so!'

It was his older sister, Saphron's wedding engagement. An engagement she expected all of the Arc family to be present. Jaune had his suit and tie ready. It wasn't expensive, but it never mattered for the elder Arc sister as long as Jaune was there. Sitting at the edge of the bed, he watched as Weiss made the decision of her disapproval of his going to the wedding.

'You're not visiting because I've said so.' She was absolute. She gripped to her hair, brushing it gently. She stared into the mirror, specifically staring at the very man she proclaimed to be her husband. 'You have too much to do for the company. We don't have time for any deviation. Our shareholders are coming from out of town for a very important dinner this weekend and I need you to be there in attendance. What kind of woman am I without the missing piece to the puzzle of the Schnee fortune?'

Schnee was his married name. The rebellion of tradition had nothing to do with his name change. Control was the motive. Weiss Arc didn't sound right to his father-in-law. In his words, 'a bitter taste to the tongue.' Schnee was a name to be recognized not only in their town but globally. Weiss was the cream of the crop, an heiress to the dynasty and the name Arc wasn't going to cut it. The very day of the registry, Arc surrendered his name to become a Schnee. Jaune Schnee, a new identity, a new being. If this should have been a change for the better, then why did it hurt so badly as the moment he signed his name under his new surname?

_Familiarity_

'Weiss, honey.' He pleaded in his strained voice. 'I have promised Saphron that I would appear. She has sent me invitations to this wedding months in advance, darling.' He cupped his hand with his fist. 'This is my sister, Weiss. I mean, I did make it a top priority when coming to your sister's wedding.'

She put the brush down. She turned diagonally, crossing her legs in the process. 'So, what's your point? That was an obligation, a creed to the Schnee name. I wouldn't miss anything of a Schnee for the world. What's an Arc to the rest of this nation?'

Jaune closed his eyes. This wasn't the first time she insulted his family name. Granted that his family wasn't born with a silver spoon in their mouths, but that was still his name. He gets only one and he was watching his wife defecating it or dropping it like loose change. He had kept his peace, something that his mother had taught him in the midst of crisis. _Remember, Jauney. Quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath._

'I respect your view, darling,' replied Jaune calmly. 'I have been nothing but loyal to you over the past couple of years. I am committed to this marriage as much as you are.' He looked at the floor. 'I feel isolated. They need me, dear. I need them and it's important that I'll be there. I can't miss any more of my family.'

She held her hand. Her eyes furrowed as it cascaded to his sight. 'You must not have understood when you jumped the broom, Jauney dear.' She let out a smirk. Jaune knew he had crossed the line. Whenever Weiss displayed that look, it wasn't a good sign. 'Must I remind you of your position? Subservient. Can you quote that?'

'Darling, I-"

She snapped her fingers. 'Subservient. Definition, now!"

He went quiet for a moment. That wasn't the response she wanted to see as she stood and gave him a teeth-rattling slap across his face. 'Answer the question, Oum damn it!' She squatted as she grabbed his chin. 'Or I will have to teach you another lesson! Do you want that again!?' Her eyes pointing to the hairbrush on the dresser.

'No, I don't,' answered Jaune fearfully.

'Now answer the definition. Subservient!'

He shook his head fearfully. His eyes looked away, but the indenture of her well-manicured nails hinder his avoidance. 'Prepared to obey others unquestioningly.'

'What else?'

'Serving as a means to an end.'

'One more.'

'Less important; subordinate.'

She released her grip. She clapped her hands fervently and insincerely. 'Check out the big brain on Jaune. You are learning your place, boy.' She extended her fingers. 'Your family, subservient. This Saphron, subservient. You? Well, you play your cards right and return to my graces, then subservient wouldn't be your place.' She chuckled. 'Maybe, dependent?!'

She returned her grips to his chin. 'Pick up the phone and call your sister. Tell her "I will not attend the wedding because I've said so."' Weiss reached for his cell phone. She unlocked the phone to search for Saphron. 'I will be sitting right here next to you to ensure that you will do it. You wouldn't like it if you were on the bad end, wouldn't you?" She winked. Tears were vacating his tear ducts as he picked up the phone to call his sister of the bereaved news.

_**Back to the present….**_

Jaune got inside of the taxicab with the widely noticeable three slashings on the passenger side door. The inside of the cab was more of a confessional booth in a Catholic church. The inside was dark and so were the windows of the vehicle. The would-be glass at the front of the cab was substituted with wood grain with egg-crate foam. The foam was spray painted in black, supporting the background of the cab. Jaune concluded that it had to be a private taxi line. Having these kinds of things in the cab must have to violate many of the local town's statures.

"Where to," asked the taxi driver.

Jaune reached into his pocket and retrieved a piece of paper. "This destination if you please."

Jaune decided not to head home just yet. He wanted to clear his head before returning to his former shell. It was his place of peace, his place of solace, his place of familiarity.

"The reorientation from his disorientation. The silver lining of his torn seam." Those were the words that were written by Ren on the same piece of paper that Jaune was holding. At the time, he really didn't understand what Ren was conveying. Now, it was beginning to make sense as the taxi was driving out of the airport.

It was about thirty-five minutes later when the taxi stopped at his destination. It was a deli cafe, next to Radyr and Morganstown train station, busy commuters in and out, office workers, taxi drivers. Shiny silver IKEA tables and chairs, Monet prints framed on the walls, light jazz music, cream cheese smoked salmon bagels, coronation chicken baguettes, faux chic atmosphere, servers in smart matching garb, fancy coffee, latte, espresso, hot chocolate, small kitchen for sandwich preparation, ovens for finishing part-baked bread, false smiles, wiping down surfaces, sterilizing refrigerator seals, wrapping and sealing baguettes in plastic, sticking labels on food.

This wasn't preferably Jaune's choice. Jaune preferred the coziness of his patio where he could enjoy light jazz and drink coffee in solace. Jaune never liked crowds. His abhorring grew from the cocktail parties, galas, and the like. The people were the same. Masking their disgruntling and hate through their income, their wealth, and their status. Parading and clinking to glasses of deceit, drinking away their self-worth and consuming pharmaceuticals. Not a night went by without Weiss emptying the dispensary before going to bed; if there was a night Weiss came home. And even if they shared the bed, never in his life had he felt so cold and so lonely.

_Familiarity_

He silently thanked the taxi driver, sliding a few extra bills. Jaune didn't have much on him. His luggage, a few dollars, sticks of gum, and his dignity was all the blonde had to his name. Much of anything else was stuff; repossessed by the Schnee Dust Company after he signed the divorce papers. From riding a Mercedes to taking the bus within forty-eight hours.

It was just stuff. The chains were broken for he had never felt that free since the day he said: "I do."

He wiped his feet before opening the door into the restaurant. The silence abruptly disappeared when he was welcomed with the clinking sounds of forks and knives hitting plates; people were well engaged in conversation; servers walking in different directions to cater to their customers. He could hear Minnie Riperton playing in the background. The song is inaudible, but a music lover can pinpoint her voice.

He politely greeted the server on staff and requested for a booth. The woman led him to the booth next to a window. His unspoken reason for this preference so he would know if he was being tailed. Who was that said tail? Wasn't that tail detached? His antennas remained alert, certain if the worst were to come, then he should be prepared. It wasn't her first time to come after him. Who knew what kind of force she would be when she returns? And knowing for Weiss, he wouldn't put it past her if she were on the way.

"Care to look at our menu for specials, sir," asked the server.

"No, ma'am," answered Jaune. "Just a coffee, black."

"Anything else?"

"A bowl of peanuts and a glass of lemon water."

"Coming right up."

The server was walking away before Jaune uttered something that stopped her. She turned around. "Yes, sir?"

"Tell Saphron that her little brother is here to see her."

The server displayed a warm smile, releasing any tension within her. "Aren't you Jaune Arc?"

He produced a slight smile. "The one and only."

"I will alert her that you have arrived."

Puzzled, he said, "I have arrived? She doesn't know I am here."

She pursed her lips. "A little cardinal alerted Saphron before you came. She said to be on the lookout for a cutie with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a sense of humility." The server bowed as she hurried the pace to the kitchen.

Jaune rubbed his wrist as he processed that swift information. "A little cardinal…" He fidgeted with his shirt button on one hand while tapping his fingers on the table. "You haven't changed at all, Pyrrha. You sly little minx."

He reached into his pocket to receive his cell phone. He connected on Facebook to get in contact with his elder twin, Joan. He wrote a message. _The crows caws at midnight._

He received a response a few moments later. _And the cat sours the basil._

A sense of relief pour through his tired bones. His secret message came through with Joan. He couldn't stay long, in case of certain prying eyes, he returned the message. _The cattle have arrived. At the fencing post being cleaned up. Afterwards, the cattle will be ready to be shipped and collected at another ranch. A ranch that is lost in the woods._

Timing was really much of what Jaune had. What Weiss didn't know, or he didn't want her to know, but Cardiff was only the main port to take him to his destination. He never grew up in the city. He was initially embarrassed of his country upbringing. He only claimed it so he wouldn't look like a "country bumpkin" to the others. Now, he was using it as a blessing in disguise.

Joan returned the message. _A rancher would be here in two pesos. The cattle must remain still until then._

Jaune had to wait for two more days until one of them was to retrieve him and take him back home. Until then, Jaune had to set up camp for the time being. The last thing he wanted to do was to put his sister, Saphron, in danger. He reached into his pocket. A card that Pyrrha left for him along with a phone number and a note. _Call me whenever you are pleased to do so._

He fidgeted with the card before making the final decision. He stood up as he was searching for the phone booth. It was one of the many blessings that phone booths were to exist in this town.

"Jaune?" He paused when he saw the server returning. "Come with me to the back office." He nodded as he followed suit. He was fine postponing his talk with Pyrrha. As of now, he needed to remain vigilant. As much as he tried convincing himself that it was over. He knew he was lying to himself.

_"Where are you, Jaune!?"_

_"Don't you dare think you can run from me."_

_"You damn bastard! When I find you, I will make you pay and you know how I feel about that!"_

_"You fucking weakling? YOU COWARD! Where are you?! Where in the fuck are you?"_

_"Jauney! Jauney! Where are you?!"_

_**Meanwhile….**_

Weiss was washing her hands in the restroom of the airport. She looked into the mirror. Crimson red made the background in front of it while she dried her hands. In the stall was a person no longer part of the living. His throat was slashed, allowing the blood to drain onto his clothing. His pants were undone. That area had blood draining out of it. She fixed her lips as she took a souvenir from the deceased.

It was an airline badge.

"Teehee! Got my wings!" She chuckled, wiping the blood from her upper lip. "Seems like I am the sole member of the Mile High Club, captain!" She made a salute before closing the bathroom door. "If I say give me information about a certain blonde, then I wouldn't have been this mean." She scoffed as she began humming a song as she strolled away into the crowd.

_You've led our love astray too long_

_So please let me take the reins_

_I'll squeeze out every drop of lust_

_From your heart and from your veins_

_Don't even think about running, my dear_

_With knives, I'm none too shy_

_And I'd hate to have to do something rash_

_As your blood is in short supply_

_I want you to stay with me forever_

_I hope you won't disobey_

_Because in the end, my darling sweet_

_I will have things my way_

"Ready or not, here I come. You can't hide, Jaune. I will find you and make you love me."

_For in sickness or in health. For better or for worse. Until death do us part. I am coming for you, Jaune._

_**To be continued….**_


End file.
